November 14, 2024
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McHenry County Board approves grant funding for COVID-19 vaccine call center

Just over $175,000 in federal dollars will cover 100% of call center costs

By Kelli Duncan
Creekside Middle School associate Marianne Bateman receives her first shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic for staff with Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 and Johnsburg School District 12 at Woodstock North High School on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 in Woodstock. The clinic is hoping to vaccinate 2,600 employees of school districts in the northern half of McHenry County with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine over the course of Thursday and Friday.

Creekside Middle School associate Marianne Bateman receives her first shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic for staff with Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 and Johnsburg School District 12 at Woodstock North High School on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 in Woodstock. (Matthew Apgar)

The McHenry County Board approved a federal grant Tuesday evening that will cover 100% of the costs associated with the McHenry County Department of Health’s COVID-19 call center, designed to answer questions on the vaccine and to help more residents enroll to be vaccinated.

The call center allows the health department to respond more efficiently to questions on COVID-19 vaccines and aid residents in scheduling appointments, Public Health Nursing Director Susan Karras said in an interview at the start of the month. This is especially relevant for residents who do not have access to the internet.

The wages of the call center’s employees will now be paid for through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s disaster relief employment grant, which will provide the county with just over $175,000, according to the resolution approved at Tuesday evening’s County Board meeting.

This funding will allow the McHenry County Workforce Network to cover the wages of the four employees who staff the call center, as well as any other administrative costs and additional staffing costs, according to the resolution.

The grant agreement does not require the county to match the funding provided and will cover 100% of the costs associated with the call center.

The call center, which was first launched on Feb. 3, is available to residents at 815-334-4045 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“We have put in place a resource to reduce barriers for residents in accessing accurate information about available COVID-19 vaccines,” Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson said in a statement released Feb. 3. “The COVID-19 Call Center is supported with translation services so anyone, regardless of the language they speak, can call for help with enrollment.”

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